Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Motive pentru a zâmbi: încurajări și inspirație pentru călătoria pe valurile vieții

Rate this book
”Tu, ..., vei găsi în aceste mesaje încurajarea zilnică de care ai nevoie pentru a-ți urma visurile.” - Zig Ziglar

223 pages, Paperback

First published September 17, 1992

50 people are currently reading
694 people want to read

About the author

Zig Ziglar

399 books1,376 followers
Zig Ziglar was a motivational teacher and trainer who traveled the world over, delivering his messages of humor, hope, and encouragement. As a talented author and speaker, he had international appeal that transcended every color, culture, and career. Recognized by his peers as the quintessential motivational genius of our times, Zig Ziglar had a unique delivery style and powerful messages that earned him many honors. Today he is considered one of the most versatile authorities on the science of human potential. Ten of his twenty-eight books have been on bestseller lists, and his titles have been translated into more than thirty-eight languages and dialects. He was a committed family man, a dedicated patriot, and an active church member. Zig lived in Plano, Texas, with his wife, Jean.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
192 (36%)
4 stars
154 (29%)
3 stars
126 (24%)
2 stars
36 (6%)
1 star
16 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
Profile Image for Bobbi.
218 reviews24 followers
May 28, 2019
Something to Smile About is marketed as a book chock full of inspiration and wisdom from a world-reknowned motivational speaker. What it reads like, however, is a massive dose of common sense with some bitter jabs at "kids these days" in between. It's divided into short one or two page stories about people who have accomplished something specific, but all of the stories lack enough detail to be truly interesting. Each one felt simultaneously like it was over-researched and under-written. I read a decent amount of the book and was bored the whole time. The age of this book really showed.

There were cute little unreleated jokes at the end of each story, which did actually make me smile. I also liked how the message was written out at the end, making the reason behind their inclusion more clear. Personally, I don't believe this book is useful to the new generation of movers and shakers, especially with all of the opportunities the author takes to spit on young people. Would not recommend.
Profile Image for Bianca Sy .
245 reviews42 followers
April 3, 2017
OH.EM.GIE.

This book contains different stories of wondrous people.

While I read the stories, I had a thought that superheroes don't only live inside a book and that they also live in this world we are all currently in. Also, I didn't expect and never thought how magical the real world is and never thought how many awesome people are still being altruistic despite their challenges in life.

What I liked in this book:

* I like how the stories are divided.
* I liked the way how the stories are retold
and
* liked the way how the life advises melts my heart.

What I hate in this book:

Oh by the Angel! There is NOTHING to hate in this book as everything seemed to be perfect for me. really

Why read this book?

- This book will make a difference in your life, help you cope with your problems and help you to realize the things you haven't realized yet.
— So this is really a must read book that everyone should read for there is always Something to Smile About. ^_^

Profile Image for Michelle.
164 reviews3 followers
December 19, 2012
I love Zig Ziglar. I got to hear him once and will never forget how hard I laughed. He may have died this year but his books remain to inspire us.
Profile Image for Maxim.
12 reviews1 follower
September 5, 2022
My favorite book when I was younger, looking to re-read it again 4 years later so I can make a proper review.
Profile Image for Cj Sime.
303 reviews25 followers
October 2, 2014
Zig is always good for upbeat motivation. This would be great as a morning motivational book but read through in one sitting reveals a bit of fluff.
Profile Image for Ashley.
546 reviews6 followers
November 19, 2019
I've heard of Zig Ziglar for a long time now, however this is my first reading of his great work.

I found this little Gem in my grandparents collection and decided to take it on. In the introduction it invites you Not to read this book, but to dissect it page by page. However, this is the book I grabbed when walking out the door for my weekend road trip. With hours to read and a strong desire to finish a book entirely, I read the whole thing in two, 4 hour sittings. Definitely not what it was intended for, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is back to back 2 page situations full of thought provoking knowledge. Some had no effect on me, while most got me thinking and feeling in a beautiful way. With 204 pages, about 102 stories, this book will give you something to smile about indeed. Zig delivers his promise of encouragement and inspirations for life’s ups and downs, with an additional set of humor throughout.

I can already see myself pulling this book out daily to reread random stories and discuss them with people close to me. They bring light to dark areas and hope to sad days. I am grateful this book ended up in my lap and that it can be my pocket book of conversations. It excites me to the core. I love that each story includes a quote inside a box relating to the story and a joke at the end that may or may not relate. for example…. quote = “Much of what we see depends on what we are looking for” -Phil Calloway joke= ‘Don’t be critical of your mate’s faults. It was those very defects that kept him or her from getting a better mate’ These alone can be cause for much discussion and thoughts. Thank you Zig Ziglar for putting in the time and effort to gather so many stories of delight. Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Socrate.
6,745 reviews274 followers
April 27, 2021
Experienţa este un profesor dur. Întâi să testul, apoi predă lecţia.
Sunt primul care recunoaşte că oile nu sunt cele mai inteligente creaturi de pe pământ, dar uneori mă întreb ce se poate spune despre unii dintre noi, oamenii. Când păstorii vor să-şi ducă turma de pe o păşune pe alta, dacă e vreun obstacol pe drum, lasă o capră să deschidă drumul şi aceasta va sări peste obstacol. Oile o vor urma în mod conştiincios. Şi mai interesant este că dacă dau la o parte obstacolul, oile vor continua să sară ca şi cum acesta ar fi încă acolo.
Într-o oarecare măsură, oamenii sunt la fel. La Kuala Lumpur, în Malaezia, s-a organizat un cros pe o distanţă de 11 km. După două ore de la începerea cursei, la locul de sosire nu se vedea nici un alergător, aşa că organizatorii s-au gândit că poate s-a întâmplat ceva. S-au urcat în automobile şi au pornit în căutarea alergătorilor; i-au descoperit la cel puţin 10 km distanţă, alergând într-o direcţie greşită. De fapt, unii dintre ei parcurseseră deja peste 16 km. A. J. Rogers, unul dintre organizatorii cursei, a declarat că, aparent, încurcătura s-a produs când alergătorul aflat în frunte a luat-o în direcţie greşita la al cincilea punct de control, iar restul alegătorilor l-a urmat.
Profile Image for BookishDramas.
854 reviews30 followers
April 28, 2023
As a compendium of sorts of stories from the lives of ordinary people who have achieved some successes in their endeavors and seems an expanded form of Readers Digest short paras on inspiration.
Some of them are interesting but at a page or two most fail to underline the significance of the achievements.
The jokes and messages at the end of the chapters are things to ponder but the books dated and even when I first read it in the 1999's it was not a book that really lived up to its billing and was slow for most of the time.
Profile Image for Cristian China birta.
229 reviews84 followers
January 4, 2020
Eu le spun cărți popcorn. La astea motivaționalo-aspiraționale. De care nu sunt fan. Dar nici de popcorn nu sunt fan. Da, din când în când, îmi pică bine. Amândouă categoriile.

Mai multe în recenzia video pe care am făcut-o cărții în acest episod din #RaftulLuiChinezu https://cristianchinabirta.ro/2018/11...

Iar pentru toate recenziile cărților pe care le-am citit, vezi secțiunea specială de pe blog https://cristianchinabirta.ro/tag/carti/
Profile Image for Jaime Portillo De la O.
122 reviews1 follower
May 25, 2025
Zig Ziglar es para mi uno de los mejores escritores motivacionales de su generación.

Sus escritos le hablan no sólo a la emoción, sino a la razón a través de una manera de aprender casi instintiva: Las historias.

Estoy seguro que son contadas con los dedos las personas a quien no le guste un libro de Ziglar, después que el libro le llame la atención.
Profile Image for Yewande Olamiju.
26 reviews3 followers
September 19, 2018
Need renewed strength, a pick me up, a fresh view or a smile...then read this book...especially when you need a pep talk.

You can read it again and again...and get to pick yet another quote or story to energize you...as often as you read it.

It’s a book that I would recommend
Profile Image for Debbie .skylark..
119 reviews2 followers
February 14, 2020
This is a book of 2 page vignettes, positive thoughts, examples of people doing the right thing, succeeding or growing in some capacity. I recommend it to anyone. It will motivate you to do your best and be creative.
Profile Image for JamS.
67 reviews
March 19, 2022
The title really delivered its promise. This a book that really made me smile. It is easy to read with its messages written in a concise way. It’s good to pick up especially when you need a little something to brighten up your mood and put you in perspective.
Profile Image for John.
1,185 reviews12 followers
November 29, 2018
He's a character. This is a cool little book. Enough said.
Profile Image for Indrani Muniandy.
3 reviews
April 28, 2019
An amazing book. Its heart warming to read about all the people quoted in this book.
The stories are truly uplifting.

My favourite chapter will be "Get To or Got To".
Profile Image for Michele.
1,058 reviews
April 9, 2020
Very uplifting and encouraging in these challenging times.
32 reviews
Read
June 22, 2020
Well let's just say.......This book......just glance it from anywhere , any page, gives you something very important.
Profile Image for Wahyudha.
444 reviews1 follower
December 5, 2020
Sekumpulan cerita yang pendek-pendek tentang RESPON para tokoh di dalam berbagai SITUASI.

Enak dibaca di pagi hari. Sambil menikmati kesejukan pagi dan secangkir teh.
Profile Image for Ayshim.
365 reviews10 followers
August 20, 2013
Fear is the dark room where negatives are developed.

Everyone hears only what he understands.
Goethe

You’re not the product of a broken home, a devatated economy, a world in the unheaval of war, a minority group, a family of drunkards, or a poverty-ridden neighbourhood. You are the product of your own thinking processes and whatever you’re thinking about today is the cornerstone of your tomorrow.
Thomas Sikking

Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so.
Shakespeare

The trouble with ignorance is that it picks up confidence as it goes along.

Our ego is our silent partner-too often with a controlling interest.

Everybody knows how to raise children, except the people who have them.
P. J. O’Rourke

Talk is cheap until you hire a lawyer.

Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but no one is entitled to the wrong facts.

Happiness has one great advantage over wealth. Friends don’t try to borrow it.

Narrow-minded people are similar to narrow-necked bottles. The less they have in them the more noise they make pouring it out.
Alexander Pope
Profile Image for Tiwik Dw.
150 reviews
October 20, 2009
Aku mencari buku ini sudah sejak lama, sejak aku mendengar versi verbalnya yang dinarasikan di sebuah radio dengan sangat menginspirasi, menyentuh, dan membuat penasaran untuk membaca bukunya.
Beberapa tahun kemudian baru kutemukan buku ini versi terjemahannya dan kusambut dengan suka cita.

Tapi sayang, versi terjemahannya ini rasanya jadi kurang begitu menggigit dengan terjemahan yang kaku (banyak kata sambung, imbuhan, kata ganti) yang diterjemahkan apa adanya sehingga menciptakan hasil bacaan yang kurang 'berjiwa' sangat berbeda dengan buku sejenis seperti seri Chicken Shoup yang mampu membuatku berkaca-kaca atau ikut tersenyum gembira dengan tokoh-tokoh yang ada di dalamnya, atau seperti buku Setengah Isi Setengah Kosong yang sarat hikmah.

Kecewa? Little bit...
Profile Image for Nishant Chauhan.
77 reviews1 follower
September 4, 2016
Another book to inspire you, with some humorous writing and many worth noting lines. This might be the most easiest book in my shelf, anyone, anywhere, anytime can read it. Although I am not a great fan of this genre, it is another textbook which will help you to be positive and leave you with a smile in the end. But as stated by ziglar himself, motivation will not last forever, you need to constantly working to keep motivated.

“It's not where you start or even what happens to you along the way that's important. What is important is that you persevere and never give up on yourself"
Profile Image for Lisa Hinson.
49 reviews
May 19, 2023
The parables are clearly from Zig Ziglar and the additional quotes appear to be thrown in with little thought as to their relation to the topic. As always, Zig has a way of reminding us to focus on what truly matters. Easy to read and would be a delightful inspirational daily reader for someone interested in improving their reading skills.
Profile Image for Jenni.
51 reviews3 followers
March 7, 2013
I get blessing from this book, i have better understanding about my work life and this book never boring to read.. This book always making me smile all d time a read it.. It really refressing me.. And i give this book for my friend, an she like and feel d bless for this book..
Profile Image for Jyoti.
Author 8 books15 followers
October 13, 2014
3.5/ 5

Every day I read couple of chapters and it ws really nice. Short motivational stories that can make your day. I really enjoyed it a quick read between breaks that will give you enough material to think.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.